Los Angeles becomes the third city to host the Games three times, while boxing enters a new era under the leadership of World Boxing and Boris van der Vorst.

Los Angeles is set to become only the third city in Olympic history, alongside London and Paris to host the Games for a third time. But for boxing fans, the city’s role as host holds even deeper significance.

After years of uncertainty and institutional turbulence, boxing will return to the Olympic program in LA under the governance of World Boxing, which is now provisionally recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the international federation for the sport. For the first time, boxing will feature 14 weight categories, seven for men and seven for women, marking a major step toward full gender equality.

At its 144th session, the IOC confirmed that boxing would be included in the LA28 Games with equal representation for male and female athletes. This represents a notable shift from previous editions, where women competed in one fewer weight class than men.

A total of 248 boxers will take part in the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games. The Peacock Theatre has been designated as the primary venue for the competition, while the finals are set to take place at a larger arena in downtown Los Angeles.

World Boxing’s first official meeting with the IOC in Lausanne – Pic: World Boxing

First Olympic chapter begins for World Boxing

These developments represent a significant breakthrough for World Boxing and, in particular, for its president, Boris van der Vorst. Officially endorsed by the IOC, the changes carry even greater weight when seen against the backdrop of women’s relatively short history in Olympic boxing.

It was only in 2012, at the London Olympics, that women’s boxing made its debut, limited to just three weight classes. Now, under World Boxing’s leadership, the sport returns to the Games with seven women’s divisions—more than doubling its original presence and signaling a bold step forward for gender equality in the ring.

World Boxing was founded in April 2023 with the aim of enacting deep reforms in the governance of the sport and safeguarding boxing’s place in the Olympic movement. The organization held its first official meeting with the IOC in May 2024, following the Committee’s decision to remove the International Boxing Association from the Olympic family.

On February 25, 2025, World Boxing was granted provisional recognition by the IOC as the sport’s international governing body, a decision welcomed by IOC President Thomas Bach and seen as a turning point in boxing’s Olympic journey.